Dress code at the races

As a member of Gold CIrcle I am aware of a dress code to be followed in the Members Enclosure. This code also applies to the Parade Ring. So off I go to Scottsville on Sunday and see a young gentleman walk up to Paul Gadsby in the Parade Ring and greet him. The young gentleman had on a pair of Crocs, knee length denim shorts and a tracksuit top so.........why do I bother doing the right thing and dressing correctly ?

Sign of the times ...
The yob was most probably tatooed on his calves and had half his ass hanging out his pants ..

Days have changed

if you want to attract younger punters you have to move with the times - It is archaic to expect people to dress the way they did 40 years ago - It is this exclusionary elitist attitude that did the most damage to Racing - The Old Boys Club is long gone and has no place in modern Racing

kind of like cricket, T20 the future as we have seen... you need to evolve with the times unfortunately...

The parade ring is part of the theatre. I think it's reasonable to have a dress code and perhaps not enforce it religiously.

If some oaf rocks up in Crocs & Socks, so be it.

Racing is elitist. Most who buy Thoroughbreds are part of the elite. The parade ring and the private boxes are elite.

I had a runner at Gosforth Park. I arrived a half hour before the race. I didn't have a tie on. I was refused entry to the owners and trainers lounge, as well as the parade ring. This was in the late 1990's. And this was a normal race day.
Thank goodness things have changed.

Amazing to me that people can form an opinion on someone because of clothes - Take a walk through a Mall someday and try to predict the car a person drives by their dress? Times have changed and if Racing does not it will die -

gregbucks Wrote:

---

> kind of like cricket, T20 the future as we have
> seen... you need to evolve with the times
> unfortunately...


and that has brought way more people and revenue into that game as has sevens rugby

mr hawaii Wrote:

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> if you want to attract younger punters you have to
> move with the times - It is archaic to expect
> people to dress the way they did 40 years ago - It
> is this exclusionary elitist attitude that did the
> most damage to Racing - The Old Boys Club is long
> gone and has no place in modern Racing


(tu)

One of our prominent owners on the forum dresses like a ''surfer boy'' at the races...

I must say, I do agree that we have to attract more young people to the track. And step away from The Old Boys Club. However, there is a huge grey area. There is already a difference between wearing shorts and crocs and just a nice pair of jeans with a golf shirt or something similair.

Also, the more we hammer on getting young people to the track, the more negative it is going to sound... I think it is not as bad as some people make us believe. Look at all the young and upcoming (assistant) trainers. Mostly sons of, but still. They bring their friends into the game. I got into the game because of Chesney van Zyl...

And to respect the tradition and rules of the game will hurt nobody...